Spira Love Stories
by azerath.metrion
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would happen if Sin hadn't sent Tidus home to Zanarkand 2000 years before? Or if Auron was still technically alive when they defeated it? And Yuna had not had to die? In other words, if it had a happy ending? I try to sum it up
1. Chapter 1: Under the Starry Sky

**Spira Love Stories**

**Chapter One: Under the Starry Sky**

"Yuna!" Lulu called, climbing over a large, wet boulder. "Come on, Yuna, slow down. Wakka's getting lost in the rain." Yuna turned around, her green and blue eyes twinkling mischieviously in the lightning. With an impish smile, she jumped down off of the short cliff and into the water. Looking around, she considered her options. Quickly making up her mind, she headed for the middle of the stream, her long skirt trailing behind her. Lulu stopped at the edge of the cliff with a sigh, muttering darkly to herself.

Kimari followed the two, as composed as ever, with Wakka a couple yards behind him. Auron was next, practically dragging a weak and shaking Rikku, who was mumbling about the thunder.

"Yuna, I'm gonna drag you back outta there if you don't get out NOW!" Roared Wakka irritably. "Don't you think it's wet enough just bein' in the rain?" Yuna giggled, splashing through the water. Her long sleeves floated gently behind her, making a soft pink cloud in the water, while the rain battered relentlessly on herself and her companions. "Yuna!" Wakka screamed again threateningly.

"Oh, come on, Wakka!" Yuna said cheerily. "Let's have some fun!" Wakka told her exactly what he thought of having fun in the rain. "Fine, be that way!" Yuna laughed, swirling around in the stream.

"Yunie!" Rikku whined, cowering on the ground next to Auron's legs. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What if you get hit by lightning? Yunie, please come out!" Rikku scrambled behind Auron, cowering under his red and black cloak. Auron grumbled and snatched it out of her grasp, muttering about silly children.

Suddenly there was a noise like an explosion and water went flying in every direction. Tidus popped out of the stream, spitting a mouthful of water in the air.

"Come on, guys," he said, smiling. "Where's your sense of adventure?" Wakka scowled, while Lulu smothered a giggle.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Wakka said sarcastically. "I mean, it's not the middle of the night, I'm not tired and battered, it's not like anyone else is injured, it's not raining, and I'm not already wet, so why not?" Tidus laughed and jumped in the air to land with another splash in the stream once more, making Yuna laugh again.

"Well, think of it this way," he said reasonably, "we're tired and hurt, yeah. And it is the middle of the night. So what if it's raining, dry, or snowing, or possibly even all three? Don't you think that tonight we should celebrate? Don't you remember what happened tonight?" Tidus grabbed Yuna's hand and smiled at them all. Wakka stared at him a moment, then sighed.

"Tidus, you are one crazy guy," he grumbled. Looking at Lulu, he smiled. "But it was all worth being tired, injured, and wet, don't you think?" Lulu smiled back and nodded. For a few minutes, they all stayed still and silent. Then, one by one, they looked at Yuna, who was staring into the water, an incredulous smile on her face. Quietly, she spoke.

"We defeated Sin," she whispered. "It's gone. It's never coming back. Ever." Almost all at once, the rain stopped coming down. Looking up, the group saw stars being revealed by the scarce clouds, shining brightly in the sky. Lulu sat on the ground, and laughed. Wakka laid down on the grass beside her, smiling so widely that his face hurt. Kimari leaned against a tree and looked into the neverending sky, savoring this moment of happiness. Rikku, now that the rain and thunder had stopped, stood up and danced around in a silly little rhythm, laughing and singing songs full of meaningless words. Auron chuckled to himself as he watched her, all too glad that their problems were momentarily nonexistent.

Tidus smiled at Yuna, standing beside him in the middle of the stream, as starlight glittered on the surface of the water. Yuna smiled back, true happiness shining in the depths of her eyes; happiness untainted by worry, fear, or death. Getting a crazy idea, Tidus recklessly motioned toward the woods on the other side of the stream. Yuna nodded, and they made their way there quietly, so that the others would not notice their absence. Once they made it to the woods, they walked into the trees, disappearing in a thick covering of vines, trees, and shrubs. As they walked they almost unknowingly refused to let go of each other's hand.

When they considered themselves to be deep enough in the trees, Tidus hugged Yuna tightly, yet gently, holding her around the waist and resting a hand on her head. Yuna squeezed him back, her arms around his waist. Finally, they released each other only to gaze one into the other's eyes as they quietly held a celebration of their own. Unbidden, the tears sprang into Yuna's eyes, and as they streamed slowly down her cheeks, Tidus brushed them away.

"We really did it," Yuna whispered, her voice suddenly hoarse. "Tidus, it's over. Our battles against Sin are over. It won't be able to destroy any more cities or beaches or islands. No more summoners will ever have to sacrifice themselves, and no more Al Bhed will have to kidnap them." She let out a small giggle, which was almost automatically drowned in a sad sigh. "And no longer do we need the aeons. They do not need to respond to the calls of humans any longer. We can go on to a better life without their help now."

Silently Tidus held her to him again, allowing her to cry herself dry for the loss of her friends.

When she was finished, he smiled at her. "Yuna," he said quietly, "I know you'll miss them because they were your friends and you went through so much with them. But honestly," he wiped away a rogue tear from her cheek with his hand, "I'm so glad that we lost them instead of you." Yuna smiled and hugged him again, then stepped back, grinning apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she said shyly as she dried her face. "I don't know why I'm crying so much; it's supposed to be such a happy night!" Tidus smiled.

"It's okay," he replied. "You've been through a lot tonight. We all have." Yuna sat down on a fallen tree, suddenly very fatigued. She nodded sleepily, and Tidus sat beside her. Without words, she rested her head on his shoulder, allowing her hand to clasp his arm gently. The contrast between her own pale hand and his tan forearm was so stark she almost laughed out loud. Tidus rested his free hand over hers, and laid his cheek against her head.

"Yuna," he said quietly. "What will we do now?" Yuna sat up, her eyebrows pulled together.

"We?" She asked with a confused frown.

Embarrassed, Tidus replied, "Oh, well, I thought I'd stay with you, since I don't know anyone else. But if that bothers you, it's alright, I'll just see if Wakka can get me on the new Aurochs team, I can blitz-" Before he could finish, Yuna laughed and kissed his cheek.

Confused and dazed, Tidus instantly shut up. "Of course you can stay with me, silly!" Yuna said, hugging him again. "It wouldn't be home on Besaid without you anymore." Tidus smiled back at her happily and jumped up.

Lying on the grass, he looked up at the stars with his hands behind his head. Yuna laid beside him, resting a small, pale hand on his chest. Grinning up at him, Yuna asked, "What are you thinking about, Mister Cunning?"

Tidus laughed and replied, "Nothing much. Just how different life is going to be now. No more traveling, or fighting monsters on the road. No more having to watch you Send an entire village's population, or call another aeon that terrifies me out of my wits, or be kidnapped for another marriage to another undead spirit conniving to take over all Spira." Yuna reflected upon those times: Kilika, Bahamut, and Seymour. With a sigh, she nodded.

"Kilika will never be the same, either," she said quietly. "Or Home. The Al Bhed will have to rebuild it somewhere else where no one will find it. And what about the temples? What if the people stop going to them because Sin is no longer here? And what about the machina? What if they build and sell more killing machina, more weapons? What if Sin comes back, and we are even less prepared than before?"

"Kilika and Home will never have to go through that again, though," Tidus said soothingly. "The temples will have to be kept up with you around, and the machina won't be an issue. Everyone will remember Sin and do whatever it takes to keep it away, for a time at least. And I was at the first Sin attack, remember? In Zanarkand, two thousand years ago. We didn't have Summoners then, or even know the teachings to create them. How could we be even less prepared now?" Yuna calmed down.

"Thank you," she said quietly, smiling awkwardly. "I got a little carried away for a minute." Tidus propped himself up on a hand, looking down at Yuna with a small smile on his face. Yuna looked up at him in the dim starlight, blinking innocently. Tidus shook his head slightly and gently held Yuna's cheek in his hand.

"Yuna," he said quietly, "you're the kindest woman I know. You don't get carried away, you just don't spend enough time worrying about yourself. Spira would be a better place with more people like you, Yuna." Yuna looked up at him in happy surprise, and put her hand over his.

"Tidus, what would I do without you?" She asked quietly. "You make me so happy! Even when you're not here, your words keep me company. When I feel lost, all I have to do is whistle and I know you'll be right there with me. You keep me from stressing myself out with worry, you protect me with everything you've got... I almost feel guilty knowing that there are millions of girls out there that might not know someone like you and that if given the chance I wouldn't share you with any one of them." Tidus smiled.

"Good," he whispered, "because I wouldn't want you to."

Slowly, carefully, so that she might have a chance to refuse if she so chose, Tidus lowered his head until he was mere inches away from her face. Looking into her beautiful eyes, he softly said what he'd been wanting to say ever since the first time he saw her in Besaid Temple, sweat-streaked, weak, and half dead.

"I love you, Yuna."

Yuna's eyes widened with surprise, then closed at Tidus closed the space between their lips and kissed her deeply.

In Zanarkand, Tidus had kissed many girls. Most of them had been blonde, ditzy, and selfish. They had only liked him for his looks, money, and fame. He had had his first real kiss from Motoko Redding, after he scored the winning goal in the first round of a blitzball tournament in high school. The girls, kisses, and parties got wilder and wilder after that. Sometimes girls wouldn't wait for an introduction to start fawning over him. Sometimes he wouldn't get a proper introduction at all. It got so that the kisses and flirting meant nothing at all to him, merely that he was still a popular blitzer. It was not so with Yuna.

With Yuna, he felt every tiny detail, every breath, every movement. His skin prickled as Yuna slid her hand up his arm and around his neck to tangle in his hair. His heart nearly stopped beating when Yuna fought him for dominance over the cavern of their two mouths and won. Gently he moved his hand from her cheek to her back, then down to her waist. Tidus was rewarded when in return Yuna wrapped her other arm around his shoulder to meet her other hand at the back of his neck. When they finally broke apart, he was even more weak and shaky than he had been with Motoko that first time. He laid down on the grass next to Yuna again, knowing that if he died at that moment, he would be happy for all eternity.

Yuna was breathing deeply beside him, her eyes still closed and her lips quite red. Softly, Tidus stroked her hair, smiling as she turned to look at him, wonder and love in her gaze. She smiled in return and snuggled against him, resting her head on his arm. He held her to him, thanking everything that was good for what he had just experienced. Looking up at the stars, he smiled, knowing everything would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2: Beneath the Willow

**Spira Love Stories**

**Chapter Two: Beneath the Willow**

After a few moments, Lulu noticed that Yuna and Tidus were gone. Smiling softly to herself, she looked up at the star-strewn sky. "Noticed, huh?" Wakka whispered quietly beside her. "They tiptoed off a few minutes ago. Didn't seem to think we'd notice." Wakka grinned impishly. "I s'pose it's my fault they figured they had to sneak. Way back when he first got here, after she called her first aeon, I told Tidus he couldn't touch her. Let him know beforehand that she was a Summoner, not just a normal pretty face. He seemed to take it pretty well, but I knew it wouldn't last, 'specially when he decided to join us on our way to Zanarkand. Yuna's got that effect on people, but I never expected her to go for him. I guess I just never thought she was the type to go for a crazy blitzer, 'specially one that claimed to be from Zanarkand. Maybe she needed a relief from all of the formalities of being a Summoner." Lulu nodded, looking at her late fiancee's older brother with understanding.

Suddenly, she sighed, looking out over the water. "Wakka," she said in an uncharacteristically timid tone, "do you ever wonder... about what it would be like if... if Chappu hadn't...?" Wakka sat up quickly, draping his arm over a drawn-up knee. He looked at the other inhabitants of the cliff. Rikku had finally calmed down and now sat next to Auron, discussing who-knew-what while Khimari stood nearby, listening. He sighed, rubbing his face.

"Every day," he replied tiredly. "Every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Not a moment goes by when I don't think, 'Wow, what would this be like with my baby brother? What would Chappu have said? How can I make this better, how would Chappu have done it?' He was always the better man. I was older, more mature, wiser. But all that did was make me old beyond my years, less able to change. While I thought, 'No proper way can be used to solve this, better to just leave it', he was always thinking, 'What about the improper ways? I can fix it like that. Nothing is worthless.' Sometimes I envied him so much that it was all I could do just to be around him."

"He was different," Lulu acknowledged. "Unfortunately, that was his downfall. That idea of improper ways to fix things is what led him to the machina to begin with. That and the stupid idea that I'd rather have him risking his life with other idiots holding illegal machina than home, with us." Wakka looked up at Lulu, shocked. He had never heard her insult his brother before, especially not after his death. To his utter surprise and horror, Lulu was crying, her moogle left lying in the grass nearby.

"Hey," he said weakly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Lu! He's not gone, not really. You can still see him on the Farplane, and he's still in your heart, huh? It's gonna be alright, just calm down." Lulu turned her tear-strewn face to look at him, and Wakka sighed. Abruptly, Lulu stood up and dried her face on her large sleeve. Crossing her arms tightly, she glowered at Wakka a moment before walking over to a nearby weeping willow, disappearing beneath its leaves. Wakka followed immediately, though he didn't know what he'd say to cheer her up; not that Lulu was ever particularly cheerful, but the again she was never particularly depressed, either.

"Lu?" Wakka asked timidly, brushing aside a couple of wispy branches and passing through the slight barrier they made around the trunk. Lulu stood by the tree, a hand on the trunk as she looked at the ground, completely lost in thought. "Lulu, you okay?" Wakka slowly approached her, afraid that she might suddenly decide to strike him with lightning or something.

Lulu looked at him, obviously at a loss for words. "Wakka," she said quietly. "How could I do that? Chappu never had anything less than love and respect for me, and I just acted like he never meant a thing to me. I loved him, Wakka, and the things I said weren't what I really think of him, but... I couldn't help it. I was so angry when he died. Angry at my own fiancee because he had died trying to protect me. I'm still angry; it's like I wish he hadn't died just so I can scream at him."

"I know," Wakka said, his throat tightening as memories of his brother pervaded his mind. "Trust me, Lu, I know. I was angry, too. I wanted to believe it was all a mistake, some sort of misunderstanding. That wasn't Chappu they found, dead on the battlefield. It was some other loser. Some other guy that had made a mistake and joined up with that blasphemous group. Chappu was just hiding, thinking it was a funny joke. But then it hit me that Chappu, as faulty as he was, was a good man. He wouldn't have pretended to be dead. Not when I was so angry, or you were so upset. I remember that day like it was just yesterday..." Lulu nodded, sitting down heavily on the roots of the weeping willow.

"That poor recruiter," Lulu whispered. "He was in tears. It was almost as though he thought I would release my cactuar on him, or you would rip his head from his shoulders. When he gave us the news, that's exactly what I wanted to do. But I had to content myself with crying until I couldn't breathe and digging up old pictures, spheres, anything I could get a hold of that reminded me of him. I couldn't eat or sleep or even take a step without bursting out in tears. All I could think was that he was gone. He was never coming back. I wasn't going to marry him, I would never kiss him again, or hug him again, or even dress his wounds. I was lost without him." Wakka nodded.

"I remember," he whispered, sitting beside her. "You looked like you wanted to blow the guy sky high with everything you had. But then, all the fight left you. You just... crumpled. And when you didn't get back up, I began to wonder. How could we go on when such an important part of life had gone out?" Lulu leaned over and gently rested her heavy head on Wakka' shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sighed.

"Wakka," Lulu said in a voice that trembled, "I feel so terrible."

"Don't," he advised softly. "I understand."

Lulu shook her head emphatically. "No," she continued in a sad whisper, "I mean what I'm doing to him now."

Disconcerted, Wakka frowned. "Come on, Lu," he said nervously. "You told me yourself that you didn't mean those things you said."

Lulu sighed. "Not that." Sitting up, she looked him square in the eye. "This, Wakka. I don't want to betray his memory. But I think I already have without meaning to."

"What do you mean?" Wakka asked, dreading the answer.

"I loved him. We both know that. But... I'm starting to love someone else."

"More than Chappu?"

Lulu looked Wakka in the eye in trepidation. "More even than Chappu."

Wakka cleared his throat. Wakka shook his head gently to clear it. Wakka looked up at the branches of the willow, then at the grass. Anywhere but at Lulu. "Lu," he whispered, "does he know? The guy you're in love with?"

"I don't know," Lulu admitted. "I like to think I hide it well." Wakka frowned.

"Lu," he mumbled, "who is he?" Lulu stared at Wakka for a few moments, then stood up. Quietly, she walked a few paces to the edge of the clearing beneath the tree and turned to look at him. He could see a look of mingled fear and relief on her face. Then she spoke.

"Wakka," she whispered. Her voice barely carried over the distance separating them, but he caught every word. "The one I love is... you, Wakka. I love you." And then she was gone. Wakka sat, paralyzed, staring at the place Lulu had stood. She had fled so quickly that Wakka couldn't have even tried to confirm what he thought he had heard, not to mention reply!

Wakka wondered why life had to be so cruel to him. All he wanted was to be a good Guardian to Yuna, a friend to Tidus and the others, and to Lulu... _What?_ A little voice asked him quietly inside. _What could you possibly want to be to her?_ A brother? No, they were too close for that, as well as for just friends. Wakka could not help but sigh. Lulu was very important to him. _Very important_, he thought.

Suddenly Wakka was swept away by thoughts of Lulu. She wasn't always kind, nor was she ever chipper, but she was gentle, and intelligent. She had always treated Wakka with care, before, after, and during her relationship with Chappu. True, she had insulted him, but it was never anything he didn't know already; at least she was always honest. And she was more beautiful than any other woman he had seen. The first time Chappu had laid eyes on her, when she moved to Besaid ten years ago, Wakka had wanted to hit him in the back of the head with a blitzball. She was curvaceous, and not very modest, but that had never even come to Wakka's mind. Her true beauty lay in her long, silky hair, which glittered darkly in the sunlight; her pale skin, that no amount of sun could never darken; and her eyes, like small, glistening pebbles, that took in everything around her. Her beauty lay equally in her sharp tongue, her intelligence that could outrace any machina invented, and her determination to protect Yuna with her life. She never gave up, no matter how dire the situation, and when others were in trouble she could always be counted on to help them. In short, Lulu was exactly what any man would want to have beside him at night. The only problem was her consent; ever since Chappu had passed on, she had distanced herself from any sort of romantic relationships offered.

_Until now_, a wicked voice cut in. _Now she wants me, and why not? I've been here for her even before my brother. I've certainly cared for her longer._ Wakka quickly dismissed the idea, and stood up, stretching his limbs. He had no clue as to how long he had been sitting there, but he had better go find Lulu and make sure she was okay. Stepping out from beneath the branches of the weeping willow, Wakka looked around. Auron, Rikku, and Khimari had gone, and Yuna and Tidus were still missing. Lulu stood on the edge of the cliff, silently contemplating the water below. Her hair blew around in the wind, the beads jingling lightly. Her eyes were downcast and thoughtful, and Wakka hardly dared to break into the open, for fear it would disturb her.

Lulu turned slowly to look at him, and he saw a deep hurting in her eyes. It hurt Wakka to know that he had put it there, him and his stupidity. How could he have been so blind to her needs and loneliness? Lulu had been lonely since Chappu's death, and was probably still recuperating from that emotional blow. But still she had found it in her to give love another shot, and Wakka was blowing it for her. He felt like beating himself in the head with a stick. Slowly, Lulu turned back to the water, and Wakka's heart wrenched again. "Lu," he whispered. Lulu did not acknowledge his voice.

Slowly, Wakka walked over to where Lulu stood. Standing just behind her, Wakka was sure that he had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he could not stand to see Lulu hurt anymore, especially not because of such a trivial matter. Not when Wakka knew he loved her back and was just afraid to say it because of his brother's memory. His heart beat faster as he reached out to wrap his arms around Lulu's waist. He had to do this; he had to tell her.

"Lulu," he said softly, closing his eyes as he pulled her back toward him. "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry, Lu. I didn't know... I didn't want to believe... Lulu, I love you, too." Wakka squeezed his eyes shut against the flood of tears overtaking him as the warmth of Lulu's form surrounded him. Lulu placed her arms over his around her waist and turned her face to the side to look at him. His eyes were still closed as tightly as possible, and his head was bent slightly, as if in apology. Tears trickled down his face, and Lulu began to cry as well.

"Wakka," she said quietly. "I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of how you'd judge me. I should have put aside my fears and told you long ago. I'm the one who is sorry; if I had told you sooner..." Wakka shook his head, and looked up at the sky, the tears still streaming down. He chuckled lightly, then looked at Lulu again.

"Look at us," he whispered, grinning sadly. "Both of us crying over nothing. I love you, Lulu. Do you love me enough to put away your guilt over Chappu? I'm ready if you are." Lulu stared at him, then nodded shakily.

"I'm ready," she whispered in reply. "I have to be. Otherwise I'll go insane trying to hold it all in." Wakka smiled, and rubbed his eyes.

"Ah," he grumbled. "Stupid overemotional tear ducts. Chappu wouldn't have cried."

"So what?" Lulu asked quietly. Wakka looked at her, and smiled. Lulu turned around in his arms and put her hands on his chest, resting her head on his shoulder as he hugged her around the waist. "I love you just the way you are, not because you remind me of Chappu." Wakka tightened his hold on her waist.

"Even though he was your first love?" Wakka asked quietly. Lulu stepped back and looked him in the eye.

"Wakka," she breathed, "he was my first love. But you are my true love. I'd never give that up." Wakka could scarcely breathe because of how intensely she was looking at him.

"Lulu," he whispered lovingly. Lulu blushed softly and rested her forehead on his collarbone, sighing happily.

"I haven't felt like this in a long time," she admitted, her voice slightly muffled. Wakka's skin tingled where her breath tickled his collarbone.

Lulu raised her head again, smiling in complete acceptance of him. Wakka gently pulled a stray strand of hair from the corner of her mouth, where it had stuck as the wind blew it around her face. As his fingers brushed her lips, a jolt of electricity spread from his fingertips through the rest of his body. Lulu reached up to take his hand, and held it. Wakka wrapped his other arm back around her waist, pulling her closer. As they looked into each other's eyes, the rest of them moved automatically. Lulu's free hand went back to his chest and gently fingered the strap of his shirt, tracing it gently with her fingertips over his broad, strong shoulders and around his neck, then back again. Just the motion gave Wakka chills. He held her hand firmly in his as their bodies were pressed together again, bringing it to his lips and kissing her fingertips softly as he continued to look deeply into her eyes. Lulu felt as though she would simply burst with happiness if something didn't release it from her.

That something came only moments later. As Wakka lowered their hands again, he began to lean forward, and Lulu nearly fainted with anticipation. Instead, she returned the favor, leaning into the kiss she knew was coming not too much later. As their lips brushed lightly, she drew back. Wakka sighed.

"Too fast?" He asked quietly.

"No," Lulu replied, licking her suddenly dry lips. "I was just thinking... what if everyone comes back while we are out here? It's not very private on this cliff." Wakka grinned impishly. Releasing the woman, he leaned down and lifted her in his arms, carrying her like a child in his arms back to the cover of the willow. Once there, he set her down by the trunk and leaned her against it, bracing his arms on the rough bark to lean over her.

Lulu placed her hands on his chest again and then moved them to meet around his neck. Wakka moved one hand to her waist and smiled enticingly at her, basking in her reciprocated grin. Lowering himself back to her, they kissed again, this time deeply and for long minutes. Wakka relished the feel of Lulu's tongue on his, feeling it slide gently in his mouth as he kissed her back strongly. Slowly, purposefully, Lulu's hands slid around his shoulders and down to his waist, taking in the feel of his tightly-knit muscles under her touch. Wakka groaned and leaned against her as he moved his own arms around her shoulders. Lulu deepened the kiss, feeling as though she could never have enough. When they finally broke apart, it was only to take a few seconds of breath and then continue.

After their second kiss, Wakka's lips strayed to Lulu's cheek, then her eyes, then slowly to her neck. Lulu wrapped her hands around his neck again, holding him to her as he gently nibbled at her soft skin, running his hands over her sides and back. Then he brought his lips back up to hers and they shared one last passionate kiss. When they broke apart, panting, Lulu held Wakka to her as tightly as she could, smiling broadly into his chest. Wakka sat down in the grass against the trunk, and Lulu sat in his lap, cuddling up to him as he held her in his arms.

"Wakka," she said breathlessly.

"Hm?"

"This is one of the best nights of my life."

"Same here, Lu."

"But I have one thing to say."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"If Tidus and Yuna are having as much fun I think I'll have to ground them."

Wakka laughed, looking up at the wispy willow branches blowing softly in the gentle breeze. "I don't think that will be a problem; I trust Yuna."

"And I trust them both."

"Hey, Lu? You think you'll ever be lonely again?"

Lulu looked up at the man she loved, smiling sadly down at her. Thinking for a moment, she slowly shook her head.

"I don't think that will be a problem. I trust you." Wakka smiled and lightly kissed Lulu's head before holding her against him again.


	3. Chapter 3: Rocky Confessions

**Spira Love Stories**

**Chapter Three: Rocky Confessions**

"It will all be so different now!" Rikku was telling Auron, sighing. "What if we all split up? What if Wakka and Lulu and Yunie go back to Besaid? Where will I go, back to Father? I should help rebuild Home, but not now! Now is my time with you guys! And where will you go, legendary Guardian Auron? And Tidus? He has no home here! And Kimahri? What will happen to our group?" Auron put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Calm down," he said comfortingly. "Rikku, right now we'll stay together of course. Wakka and Lulu will probably want to go home to Besaid, yes. I don't know about Yuna or Tidus, but I'm sure they'll stay together. Kimahri will probably go to the mountain, and I don't know where I'll go. I'll probably just wander around. But in any rate, don't worry about that right now. Right now spend your first Sin-free night with those that love you." Rikku smiled and hugged Auron, then sat back and smiled up at the solemn Kimahri standing behind her. For once, he smiled down at her, leaving Rikku speechless. Just then, Rikku noticed movement to the left. Looking to see what it was, she saw Lulu stalk off to hide behind the branches of a weeping willow. After a few moments, Wakka followed. Rikku grinned.

"Looks like love is on the mind tonight," she whispered, winking at Kimahri. He chuckled and looked back out over the water. "First Yuna and Tidus, now Lulu and Wakka... Come on, Kimahri, who are you sweet on?"

"Kimahri not love any woman," he replied in his deep, growling voice. "Kimahri love his mountain and his people. Kimahri want to go see them sometime soon. Does Rikku have a love for one man?" Rikku blushed.

"Hey!" Rikku said playfully, though she was still quite pink. Auron hid a grin behind the tall neck of his cloak. "That wasn't part of the question, you big meanie!" Kimahri chuckled again and shrugged.

Grinning impishly, Rikku grabbed Auron's sleeve. "What about you, mister grumpy guts? You've been around a while, you've seen plenty of beautiful women. Do you have someone you love?" Auron sighed.

"Actually," he replied unflinchingly, "I do." Rikku squealed.

"Really?" Rikku asked, jumping up on all fours to peer into his face. "Spill it, Auron! Who really pushes your buttons?" Auron laughed.

"Well, it's a secret," he teased, standing up. "Why should I tell you?" Rikku whimpered and jumped to her feet to follow him as he walked down a rocky side path.

"Hey!" She whined, dancing around Auron as he calmly walked into the shade of trees that covered the path strewn with boulders and small slabs of stone. "Auron, that's not fair! I asked a question, you can't just half-answer it!" Auron stopped to stare humourously at the young girl.

"Rikku," he said with a laugh, "it's not fair to ignore the question, either. Why didn't you answer Kimahri's?" Rikku stopped in her tracks, looking around. They were quite a walk away from the cliff now.

"You cheat!" Rikku scowled, putting her hands on her hips. "You tricked me into following you just so you could get the answer out of me, didn't you?" Auron smirked.

"Guilty as charged," he admitted. "Though I didn't lie. I do love someone; I just don't intend to tell you who." Rikku pouted, crossing her arms and stalking to the other side of the path. Thinking of a compromise, she spun back around, rushing to the older man and hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey!" She said excitedly. "I've got it! If I give you three guesses and five questions, will you do the same for me?" Auron wrinkled his brow in confusion. "What I mean is, if I let you ask me five questions about who it is, and then I let you take three guesses, will you let me do the same to you, to figure out who you love?" Auron shrugged.

"If you're that nosy..." Auron sighed. Smiling grimly, he nodded. "But you get to be interrogated first." Rikku shrugged. "And no lying." Rikku slumped a bit at this one, but nodded anyway.

Spinning around in circles down the path, she grinned back at Auron as he continued his stately walk, his grizzly appearance making him look slightly intimidating in the darkness. "Alright," she said, smiling. "Shoot!" Auron stopped and sat down on an exceptionally large, flat boulder and looked at Rikku.

"First question," he said, removing the left side of his cloak and letting it fall to hang from his waist, where the wrap around his body held it in place. Beneath his cloack was a thick black shirt with defensive properties. His left arm rested in his lap comfortably. "Do I know this man?"

"Yep," Rikku replied, dancing around some more.

"Second question," Auron continued, stretching his right arm to get the kinks out. "Is he the same age as you?"

"Nope," Rikku replied, jumping into the branches of a nearby tree and climbing up a couple of feet before peering down at Auron like a fox.

"Third question: how long have you known him?"

Rikku sighed, curling up on the limb. "It seems like years, but it's really only a few months."

"Fourth question: what would you do if you discovered he loves you back?"

Rikku laughed. "Not likely, Auron. But, in that case, I'd tell him and whatever happens, happens. It's the Al Bhed way."

"Fifth question: is he Al Bhed?"

"No! He's definitely not Al Bhed. But now you can guess."

Auron shook his head. "No, that's okay," he replied, shrugging. "I'll wait until you've finished asking me your questions." Rikku scowled, but agreed.

"First question," she said, jumping out of the tree to land in front of Auron's rock. "Why do you love her?"

Auron shrugged. "I wasn't expecting such a difficult question, but I'll try to answer it accurately. Well, she's beautiful," he began, nodding. "And smart, but not too much so. Fun, but she knows when to be serious. She's strong and fiery, and she makes me happy. She has common sense, which is important, and she knows how to get things done the right way. She can be a handful at times," he reflected, "but that just makes me fight for her affections more." Rikku nodded; that sounded good enough.

"Second question," she said, hopping up on the rock beside him and pulling her knees up to her chin, "How would you react if she didn't love you back?"

Auron shook his head. "I'd work harder for it," he replied simply. "I'd have to; without her, I would be empty." This statement touched Rikku, but she refused to show it; how could she tell Auron that she loved him when he spoke so endearingly of this other woman? _More than likely_, she thought sadly to herself, _an older woman. Not a teenager like me._ Auron watched her mental struggle in silence until she continued her questions.

"Third question," she said hastily, realizing he was waiting, "Is there one thing that is wrong with her?" Auron bowed his head, and his answer was hesitant.

"Well... yes. She's... not exactly in the age range that most people would call acceptable."

"What's age?" Rikku asked dismissively. "Maturity level is what really counts." Auron nodded. "Fourth question," Rikku leaned toward Auron, her eyes twinkling impishly, "If you could tell her how you feel right now, and you did, and she felt the same way about you, what would you do to celebrate?" It was the first time Rikku had ever seen Auron blush, and it was probably the most he had ever blushed as well.

"Well, I don't know," he beat around the bush, looking up at the trees nervously. "I suppose I'd feel compelled to do something, but I'm not sure-"

"Oh, come on!" Rikku said, poking Auron in the ribs. "You know exactly what you'd want to do!" Auron blushed, if possible, even deeper.

"Okay, so I do," he grumbled, rubbing his side where Rikku had poked him. "I'd want to take her in my arms and hold her and kiss her like I'd never have the chance again." Rikku was so taken aback with this honest answer that for a whole minute she forgot that she still had one more question left to ask. She forgot a lot of stuff, actually; including how to breathe. When she finally let out the lungful of air she was holding, Auron was looking embarrassedly at the rock under his supporting hand, trying not to look at Rikku.

"Okay, fifth question," Rikku said in a falsely cheery voice, "Does she love you?" Auron looked up at Rikku sharply.

Sighing, he looked back down at his legs. "Honestly, I don't know," he replied quietly. "I think so, but I'm not entirely sure that a relationship with her would be a good idea." Rikku frowned.

"Auron," she said in disbelieving tones, "you just spilled out your heart's content to me about this amazing woman that you're deeply in love with. But you don't want to take action on your feelings? What if she does love you? Are you just going to break her heart like that? How could you?" Rikku stood up, glaring down at the older man. "How could you?" Auron was alarmed to see tears in the young girl's eyes.

"Rikku-" Auron said, frowning. "I didn't mean-"

"Just stop!" Rikku said, leaping from the boulder onto the rocky path. "She's too young, right? Too unacceptable? Have you guessed who I'm in love with, Auron? It's you! I'm in love with you! So go tell your love that you love her, because she can't be younger than me!" And with that, Rikku ran off.

"Rikku!" Auron called, jumping to his feet and cursing as he ran after her. He caught up with her not too much later, and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. "Rikku! What are you doing? You're going to get lost, and then where will we be? Both of us without the one we love." Auron blushed again as he realized he had just confessed.

"Auron," Rikku whispered, not even turning around to look at him. "It's okay. You don't have to lie for me; I didn't expect you to love me back. I just had to tell you how I felt about you before we all walked off and split up. Before I never saw you again." Auron was torn apart to hear the tears in her voice. Tears that he knew would never fall, because Rikku would not allow them to. Tears that he had created.

"But I didn't lie," he replied weakly. Suddenly, he was angry. "Damn it, Rikku, why are you doing this to me? You've got me on an emotional bounce! First I'm happy to hear you say you love me, then I'm guilty because I should have told you what I meant exactly, then I'm sad because I hurt you! Can't you just accept my love and not make me feel like a terrible person for displaying it?" Rikku slumped down on the ground, dropping her face to her hands.

"I'm sorry," Auron said immediately, kneeling beside her. "Rikku, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I was just upset, please don't cry! If you don't want to be with me I understand, just please don't cry! I'll be gone tomorrow and you'll never have to see me again. Just say the word." Auron waited expectantly, crouching beside Rikku on the ground.

"You lied," she said in a whisper. Auron frowned. "You lied when you answered the fourth question." Auron thought back and chuckled.

"Rikku, I'd love to hold and kiss you," he replied, "but you wouldn't stay still!" Rikku laughed, finally turning to look at him. Auron was rewarded with a beautiful smile, meant just for him. The thought made him glow with happiness. "And besides," he continued on a more serious note, "do you honestly want to be with me? I'm old, old enough to be your father, and I'm tired. Wouldn't you rather have a young, energetic boyfriend, one that will live longer? Possibly as long as or longer than yourself? Death pulls at me, Rikku, and I don't know how much longer my body can defy it." Rikku looked up at him with a small smile.

"Auron," she said in a tone that he had never heard from her before, "you're not going to die for at least another ten years, and you know that. Besides," Rikku stood up, brushing sand from the back of her shorts, as Auron followed suit, "if you were going to die soon don't you think we should make the best of what time you have left?" Auron gaped at her for a moment, then smiled.

"That's true," he agreed, taking the small girl into his arms. Rikku smiled in surprise, but didn't stop him as he held her close to him. "And how shall we go about making the best of my time?" Rikku grinned up at him and ran her small hands down his chest all the way to his waistwrap, sending a chill down his spine.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, cocking her head to the right and looking up at him through her lashes. "How about starting out by kissing like we'll never have the chance again?" Auron smiled as Rikku reached up and pulled his sunglasses from his face, gently placing them on a nearby branch, his heart thudding like a million little hammers in his chest. The situation only got worse when she placed her arms around his waist and smiled up at him happily. He knew she wouldn't hold him to his word if he didn't want to, but he did. He wanted to do this like crazy, but he was so nervous! Finally he took a deep breath and smiled back down at her.

"Rikku," he said quietly, "you're going to laugh at me, but I'm scared." Rikku sighed deeply and relaxed.

"So am I," she replied. "I'm scared of my own feelings. But I'm more happy than scared; are you?" Auron nodded, and suddenly he couldn't hold it any longer. He bent down and kissed Rikku, capturing her lips with his quickly, afraid that she'd change her mind before he got the chance. But she didn't change her mind, and she even kissed him back with as much love as he was giving her. Rikku's arms tightened around his waist; _As if she'll never have the chance again_, Auron thought humourously. When they broke apart, Rikku kept her eyes closed, cherishing the moment of complete peace. Auron kissed her brow and held her to him even more tightly.

"Auron," she said with a happy sigh, "I love you. So much, I do.Where will you go when the group breaks up?" Auron smiled.

"I don't know," he replied. Rikku tightened her grip and tensed sadly. "After all, I have to know where you're going first, right? All I know is that I'm following you. And I'll never leave you, Rikku, I promise." Rikku looked up at him in surprise, wonder filling her eyes. Auron smiled down at her before kissing her again, pouring all the passion from his promise and love into it, making it the best kiss he'd ever had. When they broke apart this time, they were both so weak in the knees that they had no choice but to sit down. Looking up into the sky, Rikku saw a lonely star in a gap between trees and pointed it out to Auron.

"Look!" She said excitedly. "I'm going to wish on it, okay? You wish, too, and afterwards we'll share our wishes." Auron agreed to the silly request, and made a wish.

"What did you wish for?" Auron asked Rikku.

"You first," she replied with a grin.

"I wished," Auron began, "that I'd live long enough to marry you, and make you mine, and watch you grow large with lots of little beautiful children, and grow older than I am now." Rikku smiled and graced Auron with another long kiss before revealing her own wish.

"I wished that your wish would come true." Auron laughed and held Rikku close, looking up at the sky.

On a very special night, seven people made Spira a happier place. They destroyed Sin for good, and they did it with their own love for Spira. On that same night, a very special place made seven people a much happier group. It did it by just being there to channel their love for each other. Yuna and Tidus, Lulu and Wakka, Auron and Rikku, and Kimahri, a lone Ronso that would become the leader of his people. They were never the same, just as Spira was never the same. They both changed for good, and better, and eventually best. Millions of people knew that night as the night Sin was destroyed, but seven people knew it as the night their love blossomed into a deep passion and understanding.


End file.
